In Manchester there is a firm who do a large
business in manufacturing brightly coloured horse-trappings for
the South American market. I speak with some confidence about
this, for I have myself watched those trappings being made. Most
of the "ponchos" used in the Argentine are woven in Glasgow. Why
is it that in these two great industrial centres no one seems to
have thought of establishing a special class in any of the
numerous schools and colleges for training youths as commercial
travellers in foreign countries? They would have, in addition to
learning two or three languages, to get used to making quick
calculations in dollars and cents, and in dollars of very varying
values; they would also have to learn to THINK quickly in weights
and measures different to those to which they had been accustomed.
Why should British firms be compelled to use German travellers,
owing to the ineptitude of their own countrymen? The power to
learn is there; it is only the will that is lacking, and in
justice I must add, perhaps the necessary facilities. People who
do not mind taking trouble will always in the end get a pull over
people who hate all trouble.
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